THE BUZZ
February 2016
Electrical Training Institute Newsletter
Industry Training Partners
We have developed relationships with many industry partners in the electrical
industry. This relationship benefits our membership by providing access to the
latest tools and materials available for our industry. We have been able to expand our meter and test instrument curriculum due to donations from our partners.
Milwaukee as a training partner
We have had great success with Milwaukee tools in the training center. Our
power tools get used by classes of 10-15 apprentices on a daily basis. Our tool
room was stocked with Milwaukee power tools at no cost to the training center.
Over the past couple of years, we have received support from Milwaukee in the
form of battery drills, sawzalls, band saws, and other specialty tools such as
knockout sets and cable cutters.
Fluke as training partner
Ask just about any electrician and they will tell you Fluke test equipment is the
standard for test instrument quality. Fluke has been a great training partner, donating multimeters, documenting process calibrators, cable analyzers, and power
logging equipment. Our apprentice curriculum now requires every apprentice to
complete hand-on testing using a Fluke 117 multimeter.
In This Issue
Congratulations to our recent graduates

Director’s Desk

Confined Space FAQ

N.E.C. Corner

Schedule of classes
From the Director’s Desk
Happy New Year to All, let’s hope 2016 is a safe and prosperous year for all of us in the union electrical construction industry.
2015 was a really good year at the Electrical Training Institute, we had over 200 journeymen take a range of
classes that included:
BICSI Installer level certifications
Masters Prep classes
EPRI Level A classes
NFPA 70 E
EPRI level B certifications
National Electrical Code refresher classes
Telecom Refresher
Confined Space Training & certifications
OSHA 10 & 30 classes
In this newsletter you will see journeymen improvement classes that are going to be offered once again this
spring with the scheduled dates, as the need arises we may add additional classes.
In May 2015 OSHA submitted their final rules for confined space training and the onus lies directly with the contractors. All of our apprentices are receiving confined space training now as part of their curriculum. In this
newsletter we have included FAQ’s for OSHA’s final ruling. More information is available for you on the OSHA
website at: https://www.osha.gov/confinedspaces/index.html The Confined Space training can be done in conjunction with the OSHA 30 classes or we can do stand-alone training in a 16 hour class.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee for their generous donation of building automation equipment to our training center. We have incorporated some of the new
equipment into the existing curriculum and are working hard to enhance the curriculum that we have already
developed with the NJATC’s donation. Again, our apprentices take an introductory class in building automation
but BA classes are available for our Journeymen too.
After being in the training center for 15 years, this past summer we began retrofitting the lighting at the Electrical
Training Institute. We have taken out all of the old inefficient T-8 Fluorescent lighting and replaced the fixtures
with new LED lights inside, and replaced all of the HID outside façade lighting with LED lights as well. Prior to
the replacement of the fixtures one of our apprentice building automation classes did a month long energy audit
of the building with a donated Fluke 1735 power logger. Beginning with the new semester of classes we have
begun with another energy audit and are anxious to compare the before and after results. Fluke has agreed to
publish the results in their national newsletter. We will keep you posted on our findings!
Sincerely
Jim Patterson
Confined Space for Construction based on
Subpart AA of 29 CFR 1926
OHSA’s final rule for confined space in construction was submitted on May 4, 2015. The
following is a list containing frequently asked questions from the osha.gov website and a
few other items which are pertinent to the conversation.
Who is affected by Subpart AA?
OSHA
Statistics
The “Fatal Four” for construction workers are responsible for more than
50% of work related construction worker deaths.
All construction employers whose workers may be exposed to confined space hazards.
How does the new final rule differ from the rules that previously applied to construction work performed in confined spaces?
The rule requires employers to determine what kinds of spaces their workers are in, what hazards could be there, how those hazards should be made safe, what training workers should receive, and how to rescue those workers if anything goes wrong.
When did the new rule go into effect?
The Fatal Four
Falls accounted for
39.9% of deaths in 2014
August 3, 2015 - *Employers had until October 3rd to train all affected employees*
Do I need to do anything if there are permit spaces at the worksite, but my employees will not need to enter the permit space?
Yes, you must take effective steps to prevent your employees from entering the space.
Electrocutions accounted for 8.5% of
deaths in 2014
Do employers have to have a written confined space program?
Yes, if workers will enter permit spaces.
Is training required?
It is difficult for employees to determine what the OSHA requirements for a confined space are
(Permit vs. Non-Permit) without sufficient training and education.
Struck by Object
accounted for 8.4% of
deaths in 2014
What is a permit required space?
A Permit-Required space includes confined spaces with potentially hazardous atmospheres or
any other serious safety or health hazard (energized electrical parts).
Do I need to test a non-permit confined space?
A Non-Permit space cannot be determined without testing.
What is the penalty for noncompliance?
The potential for contractor liability is high if current work practices are continued.
Caught-in/between
accounted for 1.4% of
deaths in 2014
Disconnecting
means for
multiwire
branch circuits
National Electric Code Corner
What is a multiwire branch circuit?
Multiwire branch circuits are defined in Article 100 of NFPA 70 as “a
branch circuit that consists of two or more ungrounded conductors that
have a voltage between them, and a grounded conductor that has equal
voltage between it and each ungrounded conductor of the circuit”. We
also call them a “family” or a “shared neutral circuit”.
Why are multiwire branch circuits useful?
The most common branch circuit system uses a 120/208 3 phase 4 wire
wye connection. The neutral carries only the unbalanced load of the three
phases when serving linear loads. Assume you need to pull (9) 20 amp
circuits to a conference room for receptacles and lighting. The installation
would require (9) phase conductors, (3) neutral conductors, and (1)
grounding conductor. Article 310.15(B)(5) tells us that a neutral that carries “only the unbalanced current” is not required to be counted as current
carrying conductors. In addition, the grounding conductor is not required
to be counted as a current carrying conductor. With (9) THHN conductors
derated per 310.15(B)(3)(a), all 9 circuits are permitted to be installed in a
single conduit. If dedicated neutrals were provided, they must be counted
as current carrying conductors. This requirement limits the number of circuits in the conduit to 4. This installation would require additional conduits, raising material and labor costs.
What special precautions should be used for
nonlinear loads?
Article 210.4(A) Informational Note issues a caution when nonlinear loads
are present due to harmonic currents. Examples of nonlinear loads include electronic equipment, electric-discharge lighting, and adjustable
drive systems. The excess current on the neutral can cause heat and insulation breakdown.
The 2008 NFPA 70
code cycle added language that requires
simultaneous disconnecting of all ungrounded circuits on
a multiwire branch
circuit.
This means that an
installation using circuits 1-3-5-N would
require either a three
pole circuit breaker
or three single pole
breakers. The 2011
code cycle added the
requirement of an
“identified handle tie”
for single pole breaker installations .
The following picture
shows a violation. A
piece of copper wire
was used instead of a
code approved identified handle tie.
2014 NEC
June 6 through 16 on Mon/Thurs from 4:30-8:30 P.M.
This is a refresher class for the NEC. The topics covered include: Code layout,
conductor ampacity, sizing boxes and raceways, and changes to the code. Participants must have a copy of the 2014 NEC.
Instructor: Mike Hopkins
Class Fee: $25 + $71 for 2014 NEC
April 11 through May 19 on Mon/Thurs from 4:30-8:30 P.M.
EPRI A
The EPRI journeyman instrumentation class is for individuals who intend to sit for
the written exam. You may visit the Electrical Training Alliance website for more
information on certification guidelines.
Instructor: Paul Meyers
Class Fees: $95
BICSI CEC’s: 48
January through December 2016 — by appointment
EPRI B Testing
The Electrical Training Institute is an EPRI Certified Testing Facility with all the test
instruments and equipment necessary to offer certification in EPRI B instrumentation.
Instructor: Paul Meyers
Class Fees: $25
Building Automation
Contact Us
Give us a call for more
information about our
training opportunities
Electrical Training
Institute
1751 S. Lawndale Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46241
(317) 270-5282
cagee@iejatc.org
Visit us on the web at
www.iejatc.org
March 7 through 16 on Mon/Wed from 4:30-8:30 P.M.
This class will cover the installation, integration and commissioning of a LonWorks
based device network. Applications include lighting, access control, security,
HVAC, and network cabling. Participants will complete an installation and perform
all programming using the LonMaker network integration tool.
Instructor: Jeremy Orcutt
Class Fees: $25
Feb 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18 from 4:30-10:30 P.M.
OSHA 30
This OSHA 30 hour training course is designed for journeyman, foreman, and field
supervisors involved in the construction industry. Topics include HAZCOM, fall protection, confined spaces, ladders, and many more. Any member wanting OSHA 10
can attend the first two sessions for certification.
Instructor: Jeremy Orcutt
Class Fees: $30
BICSI CEC’s: 30
April 5 through April 21 on Tues/Thurs from 4:30 – 8:00 P.M.
This newly created course is designed to meet the CEC requirements for existing
BICSI Technicians. This course will involve both copper and fiber terminations in
addition to review of new standards and codes as it applies to the telecommunication fields.
Instructor: Andre Grocox
Class Fees: $55
BICSI CEC’s: 18
Telecom Refresher
Welding
Feb 18 through April 14 on Thurs from 5:30-8:30 P.M.
This class will be held at the UA Local 440 training center and will cover basic
welding skills. Visit our website and log into the members section to view the welding course equipment requirements.
Instructor: Local 440 Member
Class Fees: $275
Need CEC’s for BICSI?
We have many classes that are BICSI approved for CEC’s. Contact our
office to schedule your class today.
Class
Reimbursement
Members who are currently out of work and
on Book One can apply for class fee reimbursement through the
union hall.
Go to IBEW481.org
and log in as a member. Under the members section, the necessary form is available.